Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Following Tumultuous Week, Governor And California Lawmaker Reach Agreement On Vaccination Bill
The author of a bill to clamp down on school vaccine exemptions agreed to scale back parts of it under a deal reached Friday with Gov. Gavin Newsom following a chaotic week of negotiations. But their pact was quickly met with fierce opposition from protesters who had hoped the governor鈥檚 apprehension signaled trouble for Senate Bill 276. (Gutierrez, 9/6)
Democratic state Sen. Richard Pan of Sacramento amended a companion bill to reflect the governor's wishes, days after lawmakers sent Newsom a bill cracking down on doctors who sell fraudulent medical exemptions. Pan said in a statement he appreciates Newsom's commitment to sign the bill and the amendments, which he says will "ensure we maintain the community immunity needed to protect our kids." (Thompson, 9/6)
鈥淭hese amendments clarify legal and administrative processes in SB 276 in order to ensure medical providers, parents, school administrators and public health officials know the rules of the road once it takes effect,鈥 Newsom spokesman Nathan Click said in a statement. 鈥淭he governor will sign SB 276 once the companion legislation has passed both houses.鈥 (Wiley, 9/6)
Pan and Newsom struck a deal in June on a measure to grant state public health officials the authority to review medical exemptions at schools where fewer than 95% of students are vaccinated. It also let the state review exemptions written by doctors who have granted five or more waivers in a calendar year. State officials could revoke exemptions that it finds to be fraudulent or inconsistent with medical guidelines. That bill was headed to the governor鈥檚 desk earlier this week when Newsom announced that he believed it needed additional amendments. (Koseff, 9/6)
Vaccination news comes out of New York as well 鈥
One mother pulled her children out of school this fall to avoid vaccinating them and drafted their 73-year-old grandmother to watch them all day. Another working parent stays up late scouring the internet for curricula for home schooling. And a high-school senior begged her local school board on Thursday to ask the state to delay imposing its new ban on religious exemptions for vaccination requirements. (Brody and West, 9/8)